The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, has threatened to sue the Daily Dispatch newspaper for defamation.
Prof. Oquaye who is also the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya told Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoe on Thursday that the paper’s publication on Thursday attempted to implicate him in the $10m rice importation, which is under investigation.
He has called on the paper to apologize or else face legal action, describing the report as “clearly unfortunate and mischievous”.
The Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) on Tuesday summoned the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Akwasi Osei Adjei to establish his role in the importation of rice in 2007, which media reports suggest have been overvalued by $4million.
A frontage story in the Daily Dispatch today alluded to the need for the BNI to question Prof. Quaye – a former Ghana’s High Commissioner to India - on the rice importation, which the MP thinks it is in bad taste since he was not the High Commissioner at the time of the import.
“Mike Oquaye is not in anyway connected with this matter, he doesn’t know anything and in actual fact, he (Osei Adjei) confirmed that I was not in India at the time. What Daily Dispatch did is clearly unfortunate and mischievous; my lawyers have been contacted and they are going to take an action.”
Meanwhile, the Editor of the Daily Dispatch, Ben Ephson has apologized profusely to Prof. Mike Oquaye.
He explained: “The story we had, had indicated that Mr Osei Adjei has asked the BNI to speak to the Ghana High Commissioner in India. What my reporter failed to do was to put within the timeframe who was responsible.
“We have acknowledged our mistake and tomorrow (Friday) we will apologize duly to Prof Mike Oquaye in the same prominence that he so desire.”
Story Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com
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